“Landmark Bill Threatens America’s Treasured Landscapes, Sparks Outcry from Conservationists”

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has expressed concern over the passage of the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act’, claiming it threatens America’s most remarkable public lands to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Kelly Herbinson, Executive Director of the MDLT, stated that the bill would reduce funding for essential workers who maintain national parks and other popular areas. These areas, she notes, are already underfunded and understaffed. The Act’s impact will be amplified by the FY 2026 budget proposals, which propose the largest funding cuts to the National Park Service in its 109-year history and threaten to dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

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MDLT, a non-profit organization committed to protecting lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, warns that these funding cuts come at a time when public lands need more resources due to increasing wildfires and droughts affecting communities. The organization emphasizes the need for bipartisan leadership and public support to safeguard the communities that call these areas home.

Since its establishment in 2006, MDLT has conserved over 125,000 acres and has conveyed more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any other non-profit. It also operates a conservation seed bank and an onsite nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters, which has grown over 130,000 native plants for restoration projects and community landscaping. The organization involves hundreds of volunteers in its conservation efforts and continues to educate and advocate for the protection of the desert.